Chester County students and their families gathered to jump-start their summer planning at the Chester County Intermediate Unit’s (CCIU) Summer Adventures Camp and Activities Fair on January 23, held at West Chester East High School.

Organized by the CCIU and sponsored by CCRES and the Children’s Fund of Chester County (CFCC), the Summer Adventures Camp and Activities Fair brought local families together with over 50 vendors, including summer camps, craft vendors, educational programs, sports organizations and more. 

Now in its 12th year, this free fair offers families the opportunity to hear from local vendors and camps that align with their child’s interests and needs and receive additional information on their offerings. Rather than reaching out and waiting for a response, which is the traditional method for making summer arrangements, parents who attended the fair were empowered to speak one on one with camp representatives and get immediate answers to their questions. 

“This is my first time looking for camps for my daughter, so this is a good way to see what’s out there and what’s in our general area. There are a lot of different types of activities here, from superhero camp to Treehouse World and the YMCA,” said Serena Zhou, parent and first-time fair attendee. “I get to speak to the folks who are running the camps, get a feel for how each camp operates and gain exposure to other camps outside of the area I live. It also gives me an idea of what camps I can enroll my daughter in as she gets older.”

The event, which was intended to streamline summer arrangements for Chester County families, also helps local businesses make long-lasting connections in the community. Business owner Crystal Murphy attended the event to promote the Learning Adventures Summer Camp offered through Murphy Music Center in Downingtown. 

“We’re a small, community-based business and we’re new, so we’re in the exposure phase of getting to know the community,” said Murphy. “This event is a great way to get people to come see us, talk to people one on one, tell them about what we do and network with other businesses.”

“Our aim is to connect families with local organizations and take the stress out of summer planning,” said Jay Della Ragione, special events coordinator for the CCIU. “This event offers a variety of summer activities all in one place and brings the community together. There are so many amazing organizations out there, both new and established, and we want to showcase what they have to offer families within Chester County.”

Families who attended this year’s Summer Adventures Camp and Activities Fair enjoyed a reprieve from the cold of winter with upbeat music and a photo booth, in addition to many interactive activities and promotional items offered by the camp vendors to keep the kids in attendance engaged throughout the evening.

The night concluded with two giveaways: a vendor raffle for a Twin Valley Coffee basket and a $25 Amazon gift card, and a raffle drawing for attending families including toys, arts and crafts and kinetic sand. 

To learn more about our annual Summer Adventures Camp and Activities Fair or for a list of participating vendors, visit www.cciu.org/summer-adventures.